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Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
too old for diapers?
Ok, so I may just be clueless, & yes, a bit judgy, but how old is too old for diapers? When I go to the park I sometimes see children that seem to be way too old not to be potty trained in diapers. (Like 4 year olds) They are almost in kindergarten & can't use a toilet?
I also know a couple people with 3 & 4 year olds still in diapers..wouldn't you be really sick of changing diapers by then?
How old do you think kids should be when they are pootty trained? I'm just curious. Don't flame me please.
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Re: too old for diapers?
DD has been PT for a while, but I know that her babysitter doesn't feel comfortable taking her to the park in underwear all the time because the restrooms there close at a certain time (3pm, I think). I've tried to tell her over and over it's not necessary (we don't live that far away from the park), but she still puts pull-ups on DD if they're going to be at the playground past 3pm. DD is almost 3, but looks like she is closer to 4 because of her size.
I also know that a lot of DD's friends' parents still put their kids in pull-ups for things like long outings when they're not sure if they'll find a bathroom. So, the kids you're seeing may actually be PT but just have very cautious parents/babysitters.
I'm not going to flame you, but do you really think the parents are doing it on puropse? this line makes me think you do: "I also know a couple people with 3 & 4 year olds still in diapers..wouldn't you be really sick of changing diapers by then? "
Some kids take longer than others. Most people I know with boys took until they were 3. (or close to it)
DS #1- Ares Christopher
DS #2- Taj Lee
DD #1 Alba Gray
Baby #4- coming in May
Seriously - I agree with this poster. Do you really think there are parents out there who enjoy changing a 3 or 4 year olds diaper? We have been trying to potty train my son for 6 months and nothing we have tried works. He is stubborn and isn't going to do it until he's ready. Do I still take him to the potty throughout the day, of course! Does he use the potty occasionally, yup! But he has never once pooped in the potty - he'll sit there for 30 minutes and as soon as he gets up, he poops in his pants. I don't want to make it a battle with him. Good luck potty training your child - I really do sincerely hope that it works out better for you than for those of us poor souls who are changing our 3 & 4 year olds diapers because I would love to be done with diapers, it's just not in the cards for us yet.
My son will be 3 at the end of the month and he's only been out of diapers about 2 weeks. If we are going somewhere like the park (particularly if we are walking there) where restrooms aren't easily accessible or super grody, I'll still put a pull-up on him. He's doing really well and we've had no accidents outside the house, but I waited until I was 100% sure he was ready. Not potty training around age 3- 3 1/2 is VERY normal for boys. I think most people push it by age 3 because almost every pre-school requires a 3-year old to be potty trained.
The funny thing is, I find diapers so much easier...at least now at the beginning stages of being potty trained. DS knows he has to go on the potty but he hasn't learned to hold it for a long period yet so an hour trip to the mall literally requires 3 trips to the bathroom.
Completely agree with this. My SIL pushed and pushed my niece and at 18 months started PTing. She wasn't ready but she kept pushing it and they had so many set backs and periods where she refused. She finally declared her fully potty trained a month after her 3rd birthday. I didn't even go near it until DS was about 33 months and then it was just at home where we'd leave his pants and diaper off andt him use the potty. At 35 months I knew he was ready and we packed up the diapers, said goodbye and that was it. It's been like the easiest process EVER.
Thank you all for your comments, I appreciate it.
However, I think some of you took my post a bit too seriously.(which is why I wrote don't flame me..figured it might happen) I was only just curious about it. I do not have a 3 or 4 year old, so obviously I have no idea what they are supposed to be doing at that age...thats why I asked if it's normal.
I wasn't sure if people just waited a really long time to start potty training...or if the kids just didn't want to yet & weren't ready.
Bar tab = $156,000, Bus to Foxwoods = $0, Puking in the Stanley Cup = Priceless
I didn't read the other responses, so sorry if I'm repeating what's already been said.
Totally depends on the kid (and yes, once in a great while it is the parents for being "too busy" aka lazy to train them). I have a friend who is constantly trying to potty train her 4 year old, but her daughter is always way too busy playing that she'd rather poop her pants. She has zero interest, but knows how. She's tried going without the diaper to see if that got her motivated, but she didn't care, and continued to poop anyways (even in front of her friends). Sometimes they just want to do things on their own terms, and no matter what you do that doesn't mean they're going to listen. I'm sure one day it'll click for her.
My DS is almost 2 and he's way behind in a lot of things, so teaching him how to use the potty is not going to go over well right now. Heck, he doesn't even know how to talk or follow commands yet (we're working on that btw). We have a potty for him in our bathroom, but it could be another 6 months or so before he understands the concept of what it even is. I don't think he knows what it is now. Both DH and I were close to 3, so I imagine that's about how old he'll be. I'd like to hope people won't be judging us when he's older and possibly still in diapers. Do you honestly think parents don't want their kids potty trained?
Try not to judge. You never know the reasons. Those kids could have developmental delays/disabilities for all you know (which may not even be obvious to you). Maybe the parent stuck a diaper on them while they were out, but at home they don't wear diapers. You just never know what's going on. Besides, I'm pretty sure the average age for potty training is around 3, with a few kids doing it before then.
Not flaming, but just knowing there are people out there who judge others like this make me really sad and angry. Many parents already have enough on their plate.
I want to give you a prize or a donut or a tiara or something!
While I think a lot of kids just take longer, I definitely know some moms who just didn't get around to it before their kids turned 3 either, which seems a little late to start if you don't even try to see if they're interested earlier.
Haha I will take whatever you are dishin out! Thank you!
DS #1- Ares Christopher
DS #2- Taj Lee
DD #1 Alba Gray
Baby #4- coming in May
That being said, my IL's claim that DH was PT before he was 1.
I lucked out in that both of my kids PTed relatively easily at 2.5. DS took a little longer to be accident free that DD (who was an overnight PTer).
I've also always heard the typical age for boys is 3 so that's not uncommon.
Honestly, I kinda of chuckle at the PTing post on 12-24 majority of the kids will not PT in this age group (not saying its not worth a try) and some will PT before 2 but its not as likely.
My daycare doesn't even start trying until the 2 year old room.
Yes, I just LOVE changing my 3+ yo son's diapers. Snort.
No, he's not PTed yet. No, he's not totally ready yet. No, I'm not lazy. Yes, I would love it if he were ready, but I'm not going to push it. It's so much easier when they are totally ready. It will happen, and hopefully easily, when he's ready. I'm sure it will be soon.
All kids are totally different and ready at different times. It's not unusual for kids, especially boys, to be over 3.
I have two friends with boys my DS's age (all over 3). One tried to PT him last fall. He's still not trained and wearing pull-ups and having accidents. He was not ready and she's struggling. THe other started last week when he was totally ready. Within 2 days, he's in underwear full time, has had no accidents, and doesn't even need help. That is why I'm not pushing it.
In a perfect world, all kids would be potty trained by 2 years old, however that is not the reality....
Potty training is one thing that parents really have no control over. You can start early, follow all of the cues, and try every trick in the book, but that doesn't mean that the child is going to "get it" just because you want them to.
I started training my son when he was a little over 2. He did not get it AT ALL. He didn't pee pee train until he was 3 years and 3 months old. He is still not poopy trained. He is afraid to poop in the toilet and insists on wearing a pull up to do #2. I have no idea why. We ask him, but he can't yet articulate his reasons. We think he is scared. We have tried every bribe in the world to get him to do it. He says he just can't do it. After talking to MANY parents about it, I found out that it is pretty common, so I just have to wait until the day he decides he is ready.
So to answer your question, yes 3 and 4 is too old for diapers, and YES the parents are sick of changng them. I'm sure none of them are still changing diapers at that age by choice though, so cut them some slack when you see it.
I agree most 4 year olds are trained. I also think that most first time moms on this board have no idea of the correct age of the older child at the playground. The OP says it was a bunch of 4 years, but she is probably wrong. My friend's 3 year old is taller than my 4 1/2 year old.
My kids were trained by 2 1/2. I was lucky. The only things kids control is where they sh!t and what they eat. Often it is not a question of readiness, but a question of control. I am sure all the first time parents are now thinking 'well I am a fantastic mom so my child will poop when I tell him too.'. Good luck with that.
I agree most kids are trained by 4 (common sense), but you don't know everyone's situation. I'm not going to repeat what pp's have said, but will add this:
My nephew is autistic. Severely enough that he can't communicate when he needs to go to the bathroom. Still, at a playground, you wouldn't notice he was autistic because he moves and plays like any other kid. He's not potty trained (though not for lack of trying). He's 9.
Point being you have no idea what people's situations are.
Well, yes I assume a lot of parents would be "sick" of changing diapers by the time their child is 3 or 4yr old but PT isn't just about age. They have to be ready and willing. FWIW, I can totally see a 4yr old in a diaper...especially if they do not attend a preschool since most preschools I know your child has to be PT to attend. It also depends on the parent's urgency to get it done.
I can tell you that my almost 3yr old son is not PT yet. We are in the process but you bet your ass I put him in a diaper if we go out of the house. He just isn't consistent enough in letting us know when he has to go (vs going and then telling us he has to go) and I don't want to deal with a pee filled car seat or him pissing in a shopping cart or something. And to be quite honest, I am actually "really sick" of changing diapers. As for age, I've known kids PT at 1.5yr and at 4yr old. Depends on the kid. I've heard girls train earlier then boys but I have 2 boys (3yr and 18mos) so I don't know if that is a OWT or truth or a little of both.
I'm not flaming you but you are being really judgemental. It must suck to be around other parents that aren't as perfect as you. I mean, really, who cares if someone else's kid is PT or not.
Are you sure of how old they are? My BFF son is HUGE. He is 3 but looks 5. When he was 2 he looked at least 4. Some kids might have sensory issues or other development issues that are not obvious to the naked eye.
My DD is also just now potty training & doing very well but still has accidents. Today she peed her pants twice. When we go on road trips that take more than an hour I put a pull-up on her than change her into panties when we get to our destination. The park by us only has porto potties so I'd probably do a pull-up for those trips as well.
Like others have said, who cares when others PT their kids. it's not like you have to change their diapers.